Reitox network of EUDA national focal points

National focal points

More about the Reitox network

What is the Reitox network

The abbreviation ‘Reitox’ stands for the French ‘Réseau Européen d´Information sur les Drogues et les Toxicomanies’, and it is the European Union Drugs Agency (EUDA) information network on drugs and drug addiction, created at the same time as the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction.

Each EU Member State or other country participating in the work of the Agency designates one national focal point (NFP), which becomes a member of the network. In 2024, the Reitox network became part of the EUDA’s administrative and management structure. The network currently includes a representative of each of the 27 EU Member States plus Norway, Türkiye and the European Commission, and its working language is English.

The network’s main objective, mission and vision

The main objective of the Reitox network is described in the EUDA Regulation, which states that it shall ’contribute to the Agency’s task of collecting and reporting consistent and standardised information on the drugs phenomenon across the Union’.

The EUDA and the Reitox network have a shared vision: a commitment to ensuring that EU decision-makers, professionals and citizens are fully equipped to face the challenges posed by the rapidly evolving drug phenomenon, both today and in the future. Both are committed to the following core values:

• Scientific excellence;
• Integrity and impartiality;
• Customer focus and service orientation;
• Efficiency and sustainability.

Our EUDA sub-brand

The EUDA national focal points are a recognised sub-brand within the EUDA ecosystem, operating under its endorsement while retaining the independence needed to address national realities. As 'daughter brands', they represent EUDA in their countries and bring national expertise back to the agency, forming a dynamic two-way relationship. Their visual identity, derived from the EUDA master motif and inspired by the North Star and a navigational compass, symbolises guidance, reliability and the pivotal role focal points play in providing clear direction and trusted insight.

Acting collectively through the Reitox network, the focal points benefit from a powerful hub for collaboration, where knowledge is co-created, trends are contextualised and national perspectives are transformed into shared European knowledge. When communicating as a network, they may use the common slogan developed for joint visibility:

The EUDA [xxx] national focal point is part of the Reitox network, a key hub for collaboration and knowledge exchange in the drugs field. In this role, it curates and contextualises national information and contributes to situational analysis, early signal detection and policy development. This collaborative work increases European and international stakeholder understanding of current and emerging drug issues.

What are the functions of EUDA national focal points at European level?

The EUDA national focal points are key players in the Union’s drug monitoring and reporting system.

The regulation states that the NFPs shall form the interface, and support interactions, between the participating countries and the Agency. NFPs support the Agency in achieving its general and specific tasks (Articles 4 and 5), contributing to coordinated Union action and carry out the following tasks (Article 34):

• For the purpose of communicating those data to the Agency, coordinate at national level the activities related to drug-related data collection and monitoring;
• Collect relevant national data and information in the areas covered by Article 4, in accordance with the national reporting package referred to in Article 6(2) and transmit it to the Agency; in doing so, the NFP shall bring together experience from different sectors, in particular health, justice and law enforcement, and shall, wherever relevant, cooperate with experts and national organisations, the scientific community, civil society organisations and other relevant stakeholders active in the field of drugs policy;
• Contribute to monitoring drugs and drug use and reporting thereon, including to international organisations;
• Support, as appropriate, the development of new epidemiological data sources to further the timely reporting of trends in substance use;
• Support ad hoc and targeted data collection exercises in relation to new health and security threats;
• Provide the Agency with information on new trends and challenges in the use of existing psychoactive substances or new combinations of psychoactive substances which pose a potential risk to health and with information on possible measures related to health;
• Contribute to the exchange of information on, and the early warning system for, new psychoactive substances, in accordance with Chapter III;
• Contribute to the establishment of relevant indicators and datasets, including guidelines for their implementation, with a view to obtaining reliable and comparable information at Union level, in accordance with Article 6;
• Nominate, when requested by the Agency, national experts for specific discussions on relevant indicators and for other ad hoc and targeted data collection exercises;
• Promote the use of the internationally agreed data collection protocols and standards to monitor drugs and drug use in the country;
• Present an annual report of its activities to the Agency and other relevant stakeholders;
• Implement quality assurance mechanisms to ensure the reliability of the data and information it obtains.

In accordance with their capacity, the NFPs shall monitor, analyse and interpret relevant information in the areas covered by Article 4. The NFPs shall provide that information, and information on policies and solutions applied, to the Agency.

What are the functions of EUDA national focal points at national level?

In addition to the multiple tasks assigned to NFPs in relation to the Agency, many of which are linked to the coordination of data collection, or the direct collection of data related to drugs and drug use, NFPs have additional responsibilities at national level, which vary according to each NFP. These may include preparing legal documents or advice and participating in meetings with policymakers, drafting national drug reports, conducting studies on drug-related topics, and monitoring drug responses such as treatment, prevention or harm reduction at the country level. Some NFPs also play a role in the monitoring and evaluation of their countries’ national drug strategy.

The NFPs coordinate relevant national stakeholders from the health and security areas, including regional authorities and bodies, agencies and organisations, and facilitate the harmonisation of data collection and data processing procedures using EU standards, protocols and guidance. All NFPs provide an annual report of their activities, and those receiving funding from the EUDA also provide financial implementation reports.

In line with the EUDA communication strategy, the NFPs are requested to disseminate knowledge and best practices produced at the European level and relevant for national needs to the extended community of professionals involved with drugs and drug addiction, as well as to support the dissemination of EUDA products and publications.

Additionally, and according to their national competences, the NFPs have a key role in promoting and supporting evidence-based decision-making, supporting systems of collaboration, assessing the information needs of relevant stakeholders and compiling an up-to-date inventory of national drug information sources. They also coordinate and manage at national level any risk communication process triggered by the EUDA to ensure a coherent and effective information flow among all stakeholders.

Assessment of EUDA national focal points

The regulation creating EUDA states that the Agency is required to assess ’whether each national focal point, by carrying out the tasks set out in Article 34(2), contributes to the achievement of the tasks of the Agency.’

These assessments are based on information provided by the national focal points and often involve an onsite mission and in-depth discussions with the team of the NFP. They do not assess the body hosting the national focal point or the overall structure in which the national focal point is embedded but rather are focused on assessing and improving quality of work processes related to the tasks the NFPs undertake for the Agency, as defined in the EUDA regulation and the Reitox Alliance.

Each NFP will be assessed at least once before 3 July 2026, and in order to ensure equity in these assessments, the EUDA will assess all NFPs with the same methodology, developed prior to entry into force of the Regulation. In parallel, an updated process and tools are being developed that will be implemented after the conclusion of the first round of assessments.

After each assessment, an official letter is sent by the EUDA to national authorities, and a certificate is issued, attesting that the NFP has successfully completed the process. At this time, the NFP can also use an identifier to showcase that it has been assessed by the EUDA, shown below.

Learn more

Still have questions? Take a look at our Frequently asked questions on the Reitox network.

Latest news on the network